Contextual interstitials

Abstract

An interstitial message server system selects a like interstitial message that corresponds to a like user event generated by a user, a skip interstitial message corresponding to a skip user event generated by the user and a playthrough interstitial message corresponding to a play through user event. The like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages can be selected based upon an identifier of a media object that can be presented to the user. At least one each of the like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages can be sent to a user computer before or during the presentation of a media object. While or after the media object is presented to the user at the user computer, the user computer can be caused to detect a like, skip or playthrough user event with respect to the media object. The user computer can be caused to present the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message that was received by the computer and that corresponds to the detected like, skip or playthrough user event with minimal delay from the time the user event is detected.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 selecting a like type interstitial message corresponding to a like user event generated by a user, a skip type interstitial message corresponding to a skip user event generated by the user and a playthrough interstitial message corresponding to a playthrough user event generated by the user, wherein the like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages are selected based upon a media object identifier; 
 sending the like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages to a user computer before a presentation at the user computer of a media object corresponding to the media object identifier; 
 presenting the media object to the user at the user computer; 
 causing the user computer to detect a user event having a type comprising exactly one selected from the group consisting of: a like type, a skip type and a playthrough type; and 
 causing the user computer to present the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message that corresponds to the like type, skip type or playthrough type of the user event within one second of time at which the user event is detected. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending a subsequent media object to the user computer while the user computer presents the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message to the user. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving information about members of a social network of the user and wherein at least one of the like, skip or playthrough interstitial messages is selected based upon the information about the members of the social network. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving geolocation information about the user and wherein at least one of the like, skip or playthrough interstitial messages is selected based upon the geolocation information. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving from the user computer an interstitial message feedback signal comprising an interstitial message identifier, a user identifier and an interstitial message feedback event comprising exactly one selected from the group consisting of: an interstitial message like type, an interstitial message skip type and an interstitial message playthrough type. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message is a text message and further comprising causing the user computer to begin to present the subsequent media object within three seconds after the text message is presented. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message is a video having a beginning and an end and further comprising causing the user computer to begin to present the subsequent media object within one second of the end of the video message. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising sending a query to a social network database, the query including a user identifier and receiving a response that includes the information about the members of the social network comprising at least one from the group consisting of: a name of a member, an identifier of a media object consumed by the member and a like, skip or playthrough user event generated by the member with respect to the media object. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the geolocation information about the user comprises at least one from the group consisting of: a latitude corresponding to a current latitude of the user, a longitude corresponding to a current longitude of the user, and address information corresponding to a home of the user. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising selecting a subsequent like type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message like type event, a subsequent skip type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message skip type event and a subsequent playthrough type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message playthrough type event, wherein the subsequent like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages are selected based upon the interstitial message feedback signal. 
     
     
       11. A computerized interstitial message system comprising:
 an interstitial message server system configured to:
 present a media object having a media object identifier to a user; 
 select a like interstitial message corresponding to a like by the user, a skip interstitial message corresponding to a skip by the user and a playthrough interstitial message corresponding to a playthrough by the user, wherein the like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages are selected based upon the media object identifier; 
 send the like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages to a user computer before a presentation at the user computer of the media object; 
 present the media object to the user at the user computer; 
 causing the user computer to detect an event having a type comprising exactly one selected from the group consisting of: a like type, a skip type and a playthrough type; and 
 cause the user computer to present the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message that corresponds to the like type, skip type or playthrough type of the event within one second of the event. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 11 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to cause a media object server to send a subsequent media object to the user computer while the user computer presents the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message to the user. 
     
     
       13. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 11 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to receive information about members of a social network of the user and wherein at least one of the like, skip or playthrough interstitial messages is selected based upon the information about the members of the social network. 
     
     
       14. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 11 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to receive geolocation information about the user and wherein at least one of the like, skip or playthrough interstitial messages is selected based upon the geolocation information. 
     
     
       15. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 11 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to receive from the user computer an interstitial message feedback signal comprising an interstitial message identifier, a user identifier and an interstitial message feedback event comprising exactly one selected from the group consisting of: an interstitial message like type, an interstitial message skip type and an interstitial message playthrough type. 
     
     
       16. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 12 , wherein the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message is a text message and wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to begin to present the subsequent media object within three seconds after a time at which the text message is first presented. 
     
     
       17. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 12 , wherein the like, skip or playthrough interstitial message is a video having a beginning and an end and wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to begin to present the subsequent media object within one second of a time at which the end of the video is shown. 
     
     
       18. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 13 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to send a query to a social network database, the query including a user identifier and to receive a response that includes the information about the members of the social network comprising at least one from the group consisting of: a name of a member, an identifier of a media object consumed by the member and a like, skip or playthrough user event generated by the member with respect to the media object. 
     
     
       19. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 14 , wherein the geolocation information about the user comprises at least one from the group consisting of: a latitude corresponding to a current latitude of the user, a longitude corresponding to a current longitude of the user, and address information corresponding to a home of the user. 
     
     
       20. The computerized interstitial message system of  claim 15 , wherein the interstitial message server system is further configured to select a subsequent like type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message like type event, a subsequent skip type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message skip type event and a subsequent playthrough type interstitial message corresponding to an interstitial message playthrough type event, wherein the subsequent like, skip and playthrough interstitial messages are selected based upon the interstitial message feedback signal.